Journal ofthe Bombay Natural HistorySociety, 104 (3), Sep-Dec 2007 339-342 DESCRIPTION OFANEW SPECIES OF CERCERIS LATREILLE (HYMENOPTERA: SPHECIDAE: PHILANTHINAE: CERCERINI) ALONG WITH ANEW RECORD FROM INDIA 1 A.Coumar2-3 and Debjani Dey2-4 'AcceptedSeptember24,2007 -National PusaCollection,DivisionofEntomology,IndianAgricnltural ResearchInstitute,NewDelhi 110012. India. -’Email: acoumar @yahoo.co.in 4Email: [email protected],[email protected] A new species of Cerceris Latreille from India, namely Cerceris delhiensis is described and illustrated. Another species, C. lunata is recorded for the first time from India. C. lunata is also redescribed with emphasis on certain additional characters. Key words: Cerceris, Hynrenoptera, Sphecidae, Philanthinae, Cercerini, India INTRODUCTION Cerceris delhiensis sp. nov. (Figs 1-7) Description FamilySphecidaeconstitutesoneofthemostimportant Male: Length: 8.75-9.75 mm. groups of predacious solitary wasps within the aculeate Generalcoloration: Black;thefollowingyellow:basal Hymenoptera. The first modem classification of Sphecidae three-fourth ofmandibles, clypeus except at median apical wasprovidedbyKohl(1896).Atpresent,ithas 11 subfamilies region, scape beneath, no stripe to anterior ocellus, of which Philanthinae is the largest, with around 1,100 supraclypealarea,sideoffronttoaboveantennalfossa,streak described species under 1 generaand 6 tribes. on interantennal prominence, faint markings behind ocelli, 1 Tribe Cercerini of subfamily Philanthinae includes mediallyinterruptedbandonpronotaldisk,bandonscutellum, small to large wasps, which are relatively common and post scutellum, all legs with a few faint brown markings, widespread,characterizedbycolourfulmarkingsandcoarsely except fordorsal apex ofhindtibia, base ofmidtibia, third, sculpturedintegument,andarecommonlyfoundonorabout sixth abdominal terga, faint band on apex offifth sternum; flowers. All species are ground nesting and provisions are thefollowingparts/areasyellowishbrown: secondabdominal made with different kind of preys. It is interesting that the platform, basal part of third, fourth and fifth sterna: the Cercerini mainly feed on adult Coleoptera, although following reddish brown: propodeum, all abdominal terga Hymenoptera are usedby afew species. except apical carina and basal portions ofall segments. Genus Cerceris Latreille the largest of the genera of Head broader than thorax; median apical region of Philanthinae, with about 850 species recorded so far, is well clypeus transverse, clypeus, supraclypeal area and median represented in all major zoogeographical regions. The genus lobe reduced; sub-antennal suture well developed, long and CerceriswaserectedbyLinnaeus 1758)asSphex byFabricius narrow; smooth and shiny head region with coarse shallow ( , (1775)asCrabro,andbyFabricius(1793)asPhilanthus.Finally, punctures, pubescence scarce expect at lateral region of it was Latreille (1802) who designated the genus as Cerceris clypeus. basedonthe type speciesPhilanthusomatusFabricius, 1790. Thorax smooth and shiny with a few coarse shallow This genus can be identified by the following punctures;scrobalsulcusnotdeep,carinationabovethesame characters: clypeus of the female often with distal teeth or missing;propodealenclosureglossy,smooth,punctationlike other projections, ocellocular distance not reduced, thatofthorax,afewlonghairsatlateralregion;mediangroove subantennal sclerite nearly always defined by lines from shallow, lateral groovewell developed. Innermarginofhind antennal sockets through tentorial pits toclypeus, pronotum coxa with well developed carina. raised, but often appressed to scutum, outer vein of the Pubescence and punctures on abdomen like that of submarginalcell IIIjoiningmarginalcellatorbeforeitsouter thorax; basal plate of second, third and fourth abdominal third, submarginal cell II nearly always petiolate in front, sterna smooth and shiny with fine punctures, declivous firstgastralsegmentusuallyformingapeduncleorsometimes laterally,apicalplateofentireabdominalsternumwithcoarse a narrow petiole, terga without median or submedian shallowpunctures andlong silvery pubescence. mm transverse grooves, female sternum VI usually deeply cleft Genitalia: 2.31 long; elongated; gonostyli 2x at apex and male pygidial plate not denticulate laterally. broader at base than at apex, its sides narrow at middle but NEW DESCRIPTIONS Figs 1-7: Cerceris delhiensissp. nov. Holotype male head: 1. dorsal view, 2. lateral view, 3. propodeum, 4. genitalia; Female head: 5, dorsal view, 6. lateral view, 7. propodeum wideningtowardsapex, innermarginemarginatedslightlyat Materials Examined: Holotype: India: Delhi, <?, apex, apex ofgonostyli with a few sensory setae; aedeagus 17.viii.1960,Coll.,Menon,onwing. Paratvpes: Delhi: IARI, only0.92xaslongasgonostyli,aedeagallobestouchingeach 4c?cf, 17.viii.1960, 19.viii.1960,4.ix.1960,4.ix.1960,Coll., other at middle, but diverging at apex and ending in a club Menon, on wing; Delhi, d\ 2.vii.1956, Coll., D.S. Bisht on shaped aedeagal head; volsella 0.76x as long as gonostyli, Lucerne. Bihar, Benhar, 29$, 3.vii.1919, 25.x.1919, Coll., outer margin depressed at middle and inner margin H. Inglis; Delhi: IARI, 3 9 9, 10.ix.1956, 10.ix.1956, emarginatedatapex. 17.viii.1960, Coll., Menon, on wing. Female: Length 1 1.15-12.1mm. Remarks: Males of this species resemble those of General coloration: Brown; the following yellow: C. instabilis except in the general body coloration which is scape beneath, basal two-thirdofmandibles, clypeus except brownish,presenceofconcavebandbehindocelliandtemple, at apical margin, supraclypeal area, streak on interantennal band on scutellum, sharp scrobal sulcus and also variations lamella, scape beneath, side offace to well above antennal in male genitalia. fossae,entiremesopleuron,thirdabdominalterga,basalplate Etymology: This species has been named delhiensis ofsterna; black oblique strip running from above antennal based on the type locality. fossa to anterior inner margin ofeyes. All abdominal terga The type specimens ofCerceris delhiensis have been andsternabrown.Apexofforewingwithinfumation beyond deposited at the National Pusa Collection, Division of marginal cell. Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Mandibles with two prominent teeth; median apical Delhi, India 110 012. region ofclypeus sinuate with blunt lateral tooth, with stiff long hairs on inner margin, supraclypeal and side offront CercerislunataCosta(Figs 8-17) slightly protuberant. Longsilverypubescenceall overhead, C. lunatahithertoknownonlyfromEuropeandUSSR thorax, abdominal terga and sterna. is being recorded for the first time from India. Further this Scrobalsulcusshallowinthoraxwithoutcarinainlower species is being redescribed with emphasis on certain margin of upper part of mesopleural plate. Propodeal additional morphological characteristics like distribution enclosuresmoothandshiny.Basalplatformofabdomenwell pattern of punctation on head, thorax and abdomen, developed insecondabdominal sternum. pubescence on the facial area, nature of sculpture on Distribution: india: Delhi, Bihar propodeumandpropodealenclosures,extentofdevelopment 340 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (3), Sep-Dec 2007 NEW DESCRIPTIONS E E o Figs8-15: Cercerislunata Female head: 8. dorsal view, 9. lateral view, 10. propodeum, 11. pygidial plate; Male head: 12. dorsal view, 13. lateral view, 14. propodeum, 15. genitalia ofmesopleuron, nature ofscrobal sulcus, nature and extent in both pair of wings, apical carina ofeach segment from of development of carina on mesopleural plate, extent of secondto fifthandpygidialplate.Abdomen entirelyreddish development ofcarina on inner margin ofhind coxae, and brown. shapeofpygidial plate. Thedescription hasbeenadequately Mandibles slender, inner margin ofmandible without supportedwith illustrations. teeth; medianapicalregionofclypeusextendedforwardand Female: Length 15.45 to 16.5mm subtruncate, emarginated tridentate with small blunt lateral Generalcoloration: Black;thefollowingyellow: spot tooth; clypeus and supra clypeus flat, shiny with small dense onouterproximalpartofmandibles,longstripatlateral region silveryappressedpubescencealloverexceptonmedianlobeof of front to above antennal fossa, apical lateral region of clypeusandfrontallobe;puncturesshallowandsparseonvertex. clypeus,narrowstripfromanteriorfrontal lobetojustbeyond Scrobal sulcus on thorax shallow, very dense strong inter antennal prominence, pair of elongated spots behind punctures on entire tergum ofthorax, pleuron and sternum; ocelli, pair oftransverse band on anterior region oftemple, sternum with silvery pubescence. Apophyseal pit at middle pair ofsmall spots on pronotal disk, small spot on tegula, of metasternum, very long silvery pubescence on coxa, anteriorsurfaceofforetibia,midtibia,posteriormarginofall trochanterand hind leg. tibiae, middleregion ofbasitarsus, mediallyseparatedbroad Propodeal enclosures raised, smooth with sparse spotatapex; the followingblack: head, antennae,thorax, all pubescenceonlateralregion;transverserugulaenotreaching legs, propodeum, base of first abdominal segment; the middle at anterior region; median and lateral grooves well followingbrown: apexofwingwithwelldiffusedinfumation developed. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (3), Sep-Dec 2007 341 NEW DESCRIPTIONS Coarse deep punctures and long silvery hairs on first pit at middle ofmetastemum, carina at innermargin ofhind abdominal segment; second segment shiny with shallow coxa. Propodeal enclosure well raised with fine punctures. mm punctures and small yellowish pubescence all over. Genitalia: Gonostyli 1.52 long;outerfour-fifthof Male; 13.25- 14.45mm the gonostyli from base to apex slightly curved, basal one General coloration: The following reddish yellow: fifthofgonostylibroadandrounded,middleportionrelatively basalhalfofmandible,clypeus,supraclypeus,streakoninter slender but widening before finally tapering towards apex, antennal carina, side of front to well above antennal fossa outerdistalonethirdofthegonostyli providedwith longand extending to median ocellus from inter antennal carina, curved sensory hairs; aedeagus 0.7lx as long as gonostyli, antennae,bigspotontemple,mediallyinterruptedonpronotal aedeagal arms highly divergentatbase, butconverging later disc,tegula,scutumandscutellum,all legsexceptatbasesof and ends in a pair of inflated structures; volsella 0.55x as coxae, spot above and below scrobal sulcus, lateral area of longasgonostyli,itsoutermargindepressednearmiddleand propodeum, propodeal enclosure, entire second and third innermargin emarginated nearapex. abdominal segments and basal platform of abdominal Distribution: india: Bihar: Benhar, Chapra. sternum; the following black: vertex, scutellum, first Materials Examined: Bihar; Chapra, ?, Coll. abdominal segment, fourth andfifth abdominal tergaexcept Mackenzie; Chapra, 8 d1 d*, H/4710, H/4769, H/4836, Coll. basally and medially. Pygidial plate brown. Mackenzie; Bihar; Benhar, d\ 27.vii.1919,Coll. H. Inglis. Medianapicalregionofclypeusslightlyarched,shallow ACKNOWLEDGEMENT longitudinal depression at middlefrom basetoapex;clypeal brushwelldevelopedlaterally.Antennaeslenderwithsharply pointed lastflagellarsegment. The senior author acknowledges the Junior Research Punctures on thorax as in female, scrobal sulcus well Fellowship received from ICAR during the course of his developed, wings transparent unlike in female, apophyseal studies. REFERENCES Fabricius, J.C. (1775): Systema Entomologiae. Kortii. Flensburgi et Kohl, F.F. (1896): Die Gattungen der Sphegiden. Ann. Naturhist Lipsiae.XXVIII+ 832 Hofmus. Wien, 77: 233-516. . Fabricius,J.C. (1790): NovaInsectorumGenera. SkrivterNaturhist- Latreille, P.A. (1802): Histoire naturelle, generale et particuliere des SelskabetCopenhagen. 7: 213-228. crustacesetdes insects.F. Dufart, Paris. 3. pp. xii + 13 +467. Fabricius, J.C. (1793): Entomologia systematica emendata et aucta, Linnaeus,C.V.(1758):SystemaNaturaeTenthedition.Tomus(LaurentiiSalvii, etc. C.G. Profit, Hafniae. 2, pp. viii +519. Holmiae). 1: 823. 342 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 104 (3), Sep-Dec 2007